07 Oct 2021

I am working for employer A, and employer B filed a change of employer petition for me. While that petition was pending, I received a better offer from employer C. Employer C filed a change of employer petition for me, and then both change of employer petitions were approved. Do I need to join employer B before I can join employer C?

Answer Assuming all three employer's petitions remain valid, it typically would be permissible to work for any of the employers. So, no, it would not be necessary to join employer B before joining employer C. (07.Oct.2021)Sheela Murthy and other senior attorneys provide guidance that clarifies the...

30 Sep 2021

Several years ago, a company filed an H1B petition for me in the lottery. It was approved and I was issued an H1B visa stamp by the consulate, but I never actually entered the U.S. If I find a company willing to sponsor me for an H1B job, do I have to go through the lottery again?

Answer In general, if a foreign national is granted H1B status or issued an H1B visa "stamp,"  that individual is considered to have been counted against the H1B cap. A foreign national who has been counted against the H1B cap, but has not used any H1B...

23 Sep 2021

My I-485 application is pending. I received a voicemail message from someone claiming to be a USCIS officer. Per the message, I was asked to get my I-693 medicals done and deliver them to the local USCIS office. Is this a legitimate call, or some type of scam?

Answer We cannot verify whether the specific call you received was legitimate, but we can confirm that we have recently received a number of legitimate calls like this from USCIS officers.To be clear, this is not how the USCIS normally operates. You should be skeptical of...

16 Sep 2021

My son will turn 21 in November. However, my family and I will be eligible to file our I-485s in October based on the dates for filing chart. Will this protect my son from aging out?

Answer Unfortunately, filing an I-485 based on the dates for filing chart (i.e., Chart B) does not automatically protect a child from aging out. However, the fact that your child turns 21 while the I-485 is pending does not necessarily mean he will age out. Rather,...